Cuba online casino sites

Published October 17, 2018

CUBA does not have regulation for online casinos, although this could change in the coming years. For the now thought this does not stop us from playing at online casinos from Cuba, it just means you will gamble with a website located in another country. There are some casinos that are blocked by the government in Cuba, however there are plenty that are not:

How to gamble online in Cuba

Because of the fact that gambling is considered completely illegal within Cuba, it’s not something that really gets much of a look in. At least, not in a legal format. Yet, gambling has quite the history in the country, being considered quite a traditional activity to participate in. Prior to the ban that occurred on gambling for example, Havana – the country’s capital city – was a huge location for American tourists to visit and enjoy exotic casinos. It was in 1959 that Fidel Castro outlawed gambling of any kind, and even though online gambling wasn’t an entity back then, the laws still remain from that time. This means that the online gambling sector has been integrated into this law and also exists as an illegal activity.

Players caught participating in online gambling within Cuba may be prosecuted for such activities. However, so far, there aren’t any reported cases of this happening. The internet in Cuba is also very heavily censored, as seems to be quite the common practice with communist countries. This means that many foreign-based online casinos and gambling sites are also blocked and inaccessible by players from Cuba. Yet, there may be hope on the horizon since the restoration of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba. That being said, certain online platforms are able to be accessed in the country – players just have to know where to find them and potentially access them through a VPN.

Online casino games available

If you have never gambled online before it is truly amazing how many options there are to play various games. You will find 100s of different slots, blackjack, roulette and baccarat and many others. Check out our games guides to find out more about the specifics:

Cuban Peso deposit options

Even though some online gambling sites accept Cuban players and residents of the country can access them, it’s quite likely that the Cuban peso won’t be found as a usable currency at these platforms. This being the case, players who do involve themselves in gambling from within Cuba will likely have to deposit and gamble with the US dollar currency instead. This is not a bad thing, as the vast majority of online casinos allow gamblers to play in this currency.

The issue, for players from Cuba, will come when locating a depositing method that will work for them. While credit and debit cards can potentially be used, the internet world is quite censored, so transactions to online gambling platforms could be blocked, too. Alternatives allowed do include possibilities like Neteller and Skrill, so it may be more convenient to use these. Payment methods for Cuban players include:

Gambling history and the future

It’s important to take a look back at the history of gambling in Cuba to understand how it got to its status today. The country isn’t any kind of stranger to games of luck. As noted, Havana is considered to be the precursor to the US’s Las Vegas of today. Through the 1940s and up to the 1950s, Cuba played host to what was considered the world’s largest gambling location. Casinos were legal, and operators could apply for licenses quite easily at the time. However, when 1959 rolled around and Fidel Castro took over Fulgencio Batista as leader of Cuba, he banned all forms of gambling throughout the country. At the same time, several casinos and slot machines from within were demolished.
Gambling has been illegal ever since that time and anyone involving themselves in such a pastime – whether player or operator – may face charges from the authorities. A fine would most likely be handed out, but imprisonment is also a possibility. However, with relations growing between Cuba and the US today, American tourists are once again free to visit the Cuban island. Because of the status of gambling in the US, Cuba may find itself with a space to offer up the industry to American tourists. This means that there’s quite the potential for, at the very least, land-based gambling to become an entity within Cuba once more.

Online casino & Gambling laws in Cuba

The online world of gambling may be a little bit less likely to become legal. It remains as an illegal activity within Cuba for the time being, but unlike land-based gambling that could attract tourists, online casinos don’t hold that same draw. To add to this, the internet within Cuba is heavily censored by the communist government, so being able to start up an online operation is profoundly difficult. Even if gambling did become legal within Cuba – both online and offline – it would take a long time for the country to build up a competitive industry to rival the greats like Las Vegas again.

For the time being, the only route by which players in Cuba can access online casinos and other gambling sites, is by using a VPN to seek out foreign-based platforms. Yet, because of the heavily censored internet, even VPN’s can be difficult to operate within Cuba. It seems as though when Cuba bans something, the country does it to the maximum. However, some players do have the ability to bypass these laws, and at the same time, there are online casinos that accept players from the country. This being the case, there is a hope for avid gamers within Cuba – even if it’s only a small one.

Cuba geography & Impact on gambling

Cuba is a country that is known around the world for its turbulent history. It’s an island nation, existing in the Caribbean Sea and is the second-most populous after Hispaniola, housing over 11 million people. From the 4th millennium BC, the island was inhabited by the Ciboney Taíno people. Yet, when the Spanish arrived in the 15th century, the people were wiped out and Cuba became a colony of Spain. Cuba was occupied by the United States of America in 1898. It did gain independence as a de facto United States protectorate in 1902. However, by 1940, the country tried to strengthen is democratic system, although this led to the dictator Fulgencio Batista taking over in 1952. This then led on to the appearance of Fidel Castro, who established communist rule in Cuba – a governance that still exists in the country to this day. So, how do communist laws affect the gambling industry?